Loyalty in a corporate environment has been subjected to a very narrow vision of gaining customer traction through offering of an incentive. Loyalty has almost become a synonym to getting something in return, be it airlines offering miles, credit card companies giving cash backs or hotesl offering room niughts and holiday packages. But in its true real form this is less of a loyalty drive and more of a marketing drive. It may increase your footfall and create spikes of purchase but in the long run won’t help you sustain and retain these customers.
Loyalty is not about acquiring new but nurturing the old.
In today’s competitive environment companies have to strategize to drive customer loyalty in a way that goes far beyond rewards.
Customers remember experiences and not discounts or gifts. Today more than ever before time has become money. Brands that understand and move towards strategizing this low-lying salient feature as a core to building loyalty are the ones who will win customer loyalty every single time.
Let’s take for example technology in a hotel business and how it has helped sustain and grow customer loyalty without any monetary benefit but providing sheer convenience.
The hotel implemented a strategy to reduce the steps of interaction from check –in to check out. They did this through analysing the steps the client went through right from checking in to checking out. After drawing out a blueprint, they moved to see what steps could be completely automated. This lead to the development of an app designed for their members. The app allowed the client to book rooms, check the status of their hotel room, check in when the room is ready and even use the phone as a key to get into the room. All of this could be done without ever having to visit the front desk.
This strategic indicative far exceeded any other monetary indicative. It is about understanding what is most valuable to your target audience. When the hotel understood the nature of their target audience to be more from the white collar corporate sector they channelled time as being the most critical for them. Once the area was identified it was all a backward calculation to satisfy that need.
There may be multiple hotel chains that offer discounts, free night stays, free meals or other offers but that will never be able to match or compensate for the convenience that is offered by this hotel.
Loyalty is cultivated from generating value for the end consumer through ease and engagement.
Leading Customer Loyalty is a one-day work session to learn the principles and practices that are needed to win the hearts of employees and customers. To drive this concept within your organization, register for the Leading Customer Loyalty workshop today.
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